The "Marketplace" Controversy
It all started with a story on the Public Radio program "Marketplace", a financial
news show that I have listened to regularly for five years or more.
I was listening as I drove to the local high school to do my turn in the swim team carpool.
A story came on about the Grateful Dead going after people who sold live and studio
recordings.
I wholeheartedly support this action, since for those of you who don't know, the Dead allow
taping and trading of their live music as long as NO MONEY CHANGES
HANDS.
I listened to the story and noticed that the reporter didn't seem to understand the band's
complaints, likening it to the current Napster controversy and implying that there was some
irony due to the liberal taping policies mentioned above. The reporter even went so far as
to wonder aloud if Jerry Garcia might not be ashamed if he were still alive!
That irked me, but I had to go in and get my daughter and the other kids, so by
the time I got home, it had pretty much been displaced from my mind by more mundane
matters.
You can hear the entire episode of "Marketplace" by following this link: Marketplace
09-25-2000.
You will need Realplayer to listen to this broadcast. The
piece in question was toward the end of the program, around minutes 20-25 if memory serves
me.
A few days later, I got an e-mail from a friend, who had heard the same program,
and was obviously worked up about it. I wrote a response, forwarded it to everyone
I thought might be interested, and then fired a missive off to the people responsible
at Marketplace and their associate organizations. Links to the letters are listed
below, the first contains contact information for each of the responsible parties.
I encourage you to listen to the program, read both letters completely, and then do what you
feel is right. An angry letter sometimes does wonders.
Chris Black
09-29-2000
The
letter from Scooter and my response
My Letter to Marketplace
E-Mail
Marketplace
E-Mail PRI
E-Mail MPR
E-Mail Me
Postscript:
Angry Letters Do Work!
I got
a letter a few days later from Isaac Robbins, a fellow Sugarmegger, who had
written to Marketplace at my urging. Apparently, Marketplace contacted him and
asked him to read his letter for use on the air. In the lead-in to the letter,
they explained that they thought it odd when reporting it originally that the
Grateful Dead were threatening legal action against those who traded their live
recordings. Well, apparently not odd enough to go back and check their facts.
Oh
well, I suppose an apology was too much to expect. At least they ran the letter.
You can hear it here: Marketplace
10-04-2000 at approximately 22 minutes into the program. See, your voice
can be heard occasionally.
Chris Black
10-20-00